Sanctuary
by CrimsonParagon
Summary: Two weeks have passed since that fateful night. It seems so long ago, yet is so fresh in the minds of those at Kaida house. An unannounced visitor, signalled by Wanta's barking. The grandfather clock chimes, breaking its long silence.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Sup ppl? Another short fic, probably only be 2 or 3 chapters max. If you're reading my yuyu hakusho fic, sorry it's been so long since the last update. School has kept me very busy, but with the semester coming to an end I should be able to update a few times in the next few months. Anyway, Elfen Lied is probably my favorite anime. I just felt compelled to write something of it. Hope you enjoy.

Elfen Lied….don't own it…you get the picture.

**Sanctuary**

Chapter 1 

It was yet another pleasant fall afternoon. The sun was shining brilliantly through the trees, gently brushing the land with warmth, and a calming amber coloring. White clouds drifted whimsically by through the infinite blue. Though the sun's rays slightly warmed the body, the cool winds that blew through the trees also refreshed, and at the same time hinted at the icy winter that was not far off. Cherry blossoms, flower petals, and leaves were carried upon gusts of wind, only to be set free mid-flight and fall gently back down to the ground. A serene scene such as this allowed one to quickly forget many things and marvel at its beauty. At the same time, this distraction could also allow one to be lost in thought.

'….._it's been almost two weeks….'_ Kohta thought to himself in a daze. His eyes locked onto a lone cherry blossom falling from above through the view of the window frame, and followed it to the ground. He then looked up to find yet another lone blossom, and would again follow it to its destination below. He had repeated this so many times he dared not even try to count them. The sounds of Mayu, Yuka, and Nana rushing about the dining room, setting down dishes, bowls, and chopsticks paid him no mind. Not even a high pitched squeak that was undoubtedly Nana almost slipping, or dropping something could stir him from the depths of his mind. Everything was becoming like some dream to him; a dream that he couldn't wake up from. Although he went about his daily schoolwork, studies, and housework, he was always distracted. Occasionally he would find himself in the hall, opening that same music box he had bought over 8 years ago, and listening once again to that sad but beautiful melody. "Lilium" it was called. Never before had he heard such music. When he had heard its mournful tune in the shop that day, it had reminded him of the girl with no name he had grown so fond of. Removed, unwante, sad, even mournful…but through all that he had seen what others could not…beauty. Yes, this song was the perfect representation of her….he knew she'd love it. And so she did.

As he listened, these memories would flood over him, as if watching a movie in his mind. Whenever someone would see him that way, he would put the small wooden box away, and quickly plaster on the most convincing smile he could and change the subject to dinner, or schoolwork, or whatever was most convenient at the time. He especially did this with Yuka. He hated anyone to worry about him, especially as he was the 'father' of Kaida house. He was supposed to be strong for the others, so they wouldn't have to worry about anything….at least that's what he had convinced himself of.

Even though Yuka would always smile back at him, she never was very good at hiding her feelings. The mournful look in her caramel eyes always shone through, despite her reassuring smile. She knew….and he could tell, even without looking, that it was hurting her immensely inside. That realization just seemed to add to his inner qualms. She loved him, with everything that she was. She had turned down her top choice schools just for a chance to be with him. She had practiced cutting out those perforated porcelain figures for years, just to prove to him that she could do it…and when he was forced to keep his promise of doing whatever she told him to…she already knew what she wanted.

She had dreamt of it for years, she would show him the box of dozens of figures, and he'd say "wow, Yuka, guess you proved me wrong huh? Fine, I'll keep my promise, what do you want me to do? Nothing too hard okay?" She would come closer to him, and slide her arm around his neck and say "I want you to hold me." What would transpire from there would happen as it should, she had told herself. She had very high morals, but when it came to Kohta….she felt that her love was enough to condone her lust. She had dreams of being held to him, their bodies entangled, clawing his back in pure ecstasy, and hearing him whisper lovingly in her ear:

"I love you, Yuka…"

….but her dream was shattered on that one day…the day the girl they called "Nyuu" appeared out of nowhere. He had forgotten about the festival, about the promise he had made…about her. Everything she had hoped and dreamed for dissolved in just one day. It had hurt immensely, and she cursed herself for "being so stupid", but she couldn't give up. He had gone through such a tragedy….and at the time, didn't even remember that the way it truly happened. She convinced herself that she would continue to love him, and hope that he would love her in return.

Kohta finally turned his attention from the open window to Yuka, who was placing the last of the dinner wear onto the cherry wood table. Normally he would not make a second glance at this routine, but noticed that she was preparing a fifth setting…

"Um…Yuka? You know you're setting an extra place?"

She looked up brightly from the table and met his eyes with a pleasant smile.

"Well…I thought it'd be nice to have her here….you know…?"

He smiled sadly, a silent and remorseful sort of gratefulness showing in his eyes. He felt less alone, knowing that others were thinking of her as well.

"…yeah…" he finished after a pause.

Sure, she was jealous of Nyuu. Whenever she had unknowingly stumbled upon Kohta embracing Nyuu, she could have sworn she felt her heart shatter. She would run, breaking down into tears that would streak down her cheeks with each stride she took. She would find a secluded place, and weep until she felt her tear ducts dry up, and try to sort out the maelstrom of jealousy, pain, and betrayal swirling inside her. She just didn't understand…she had loved him for so long…and Nyuu gained his affection so easily. It just wasn't fair….but at the same time, she cared for Nyuu as well. If nothing else, she did brighten up Kaida house with her innocent, playful personality and curious investigations. She cared about her as much as Mayu or Nana, who were both very dear to her as well. They were her family.

Somehow, the fact that she couldn't be angry at Nyuu through her jealousy made it that much harder. There was no outlet, no way for her to express her frustration. The only way she'd found so far was to leave a distinctly shaped red handprint on Kohta's face, or on occasion deliver a good punch to the stomach…but she always felt bad afterward. Since Nyuu had disappeared that night, everyone has been down. They all missed her.

That same night Nana had taken it upon herself to explain everything to Kohta and Yuka; the research facility on the island, the Diclonius, Vectors, evolution, the experiments that were done…everything. Yuka had listened in silent horror, while Kohta became enraged at the thought. Visions of men in white coats conducting experiments worse than torture in the name of their beloved science and understanding invaded his mind. He had slammed his hands down onto the table, trying desperately to hold back his rage.

"…..God….damned….bastards…." he had muttered through clenched teeth. Mayu was slightly scared by Kohta's anger, which Yuka had realized and tried to calm him down. Nana had just sat there, expressionless, trying not to remember the things she had been through in that God forsaken place. Thoughts of what Nyuu…or Lucy as Nana had told him was the name given to her…had endured in that hellish place raced through his mind. He didn't even want to imagine. Tears began to well up in his eyes which he refused to let fall. He had shut his eyes, clenching them tight. What surprised everyone was when he suddenly jumped up from his place at the table, rushed to the side and pulled Nana into a tight embrace. Her eyes had widened in surprise, but she was clearly comfortable this way, burying her eyes into his shoulder from where she sat.

"Nana…I had no idea….I..I…" he hesitated for quite a few moments before finishing. "You didn't deserve any of that…I won't let anyone hurt you again, Nana, I promise you. You have a place here….a family that loves you…" He wanted to say more to reassure her, but she herself had broken down, crying heavily in his arms. He truly felt this way, and meant every word…but at the time, he wanted to say those things to Nyuu more than anyone.

'_I'll tell her the same when she comes back home…'_ He had thought to himself.

"Kohta! I'm talking to you!" Yuka practically screamed, finally tearing him from the train of thought he'd fallen into yet again. He shook his head as if to shake the thoughts from his mind, and met a very irritated looking Yuka, hands on her hips in a very 'scolding mother' type of pose.

"Oh…sorry….what?"

"Dinner's ready!" Nana exclaimed with a happy smile from her place behind Yuka. Mayu exchanged glances with Nana and then Kohta, and said with a sheepish smile "…so you better come over here before Nana eats it all…"

"Hey! That's MEAN!" Nana burst out with a pout, turning her face away from her friend and crossing her prosthetic arms in front of her chest. Normally people would worry about this kind of display, but if Nana manipulated her arms with her vectors for show like that, she couldn't be that hurt. Her attempts to act upset never failed to make everyone smile. They all hurried to sit down at the table and gaze upon the delicious meal set before them. Yuka and Mayu always made such good food, even if it was as simple as rice.

"Thanks for the food!" they all shouted in unison, picking up their chopsticks and beginning to devour the meal. All stopped suddenly when the sound of Wanta's barking echoed from the front yard.

"We have visitors?" Yuka asked with a puzzled look on her features. Mayu looked around curiously, and Nana had shrugged and turned her concentration back to her bowl, using her chopsticks to shovel the noodles into her mouth. They still hadn't been able to teach her how to properly use them yet. Putting your hands anywhere near Nana's food was close to suicide, all had thought at one point or another, but never dared say in fear of getting the dreaded pouty/hurt look from Nana. Kohta placed his bowl back onto the table and stood carefully, mindful not to knock the table.

"I dunno…I'll go check."

As he reached the front door, he put on some slippers haphazardly and slid the door open. He could see the dark silhouette of a figure beyond the gate. Wanta was jumping back and forth energetically from his place in front of his small dog house, his short tail wagging quickly like the wings of a hummingbird.

'…_could it really be you?' _ He thought to himself, his insides churning with hope at the mere thought. He hurried towards the door, trying to move as quickly as he could in the awkward slippers. As he reached the midpoint between the house and the gate, a low resonance protruded from the quiet house; the deep gonging noise of a grandfather clock. The very same one Nyuu had tinkered with and disassembled countless times. The same clock that no matter how many times he walked by it, always stopped and looked at the hands to check the time, only to kick himself mentally for forgetting once again that it's broken. He stopped dead in his tracks, and turned towards the house, a confused look across his brow.

"….it's working…." He said in awe, more to convince himself than anything. How was that possible? Nobody had even touched it since Nyuu had last taken out every last screw and put them back randomly…

He shook his head slightly and turned back around, heading for the gate. As he reached the handle, the figure on the other side shifted a bit, but remained where it stood. His hand trembled as he grasped it firmly, the gonging of the clock still resonating in rhythmic intervals. He flung the door open with one forceful, anticipated movement, gazing upon the figure of a young, crimson haired woman, her head bowed down towards the ground. He quickly looked her up and down, recognizing tattered and dirty hand me down clothes from Yuka. She looked up at him slowly, her chin length locks falling in front of one eye. She gave him a weak, mournful smile that seemed to be full of tears more than joy.

Kohta was stunned, motionless. The dream, the semi reality he had come to live in was still hazing his mind. He wondered if this was real…or just a hallucination. Her smile faded, but she did not move from where she stood. She examined his eyes closely, trying to uncover what was running through his mind. Was she wrong in coming here? Maybe he couldn't forgive her after all…did he hate her? She knew it was selfish to come back…she had planned on dying that night after all. But Kohta's embrace, his kiss, his declarations of love…they had made her realize that it was all she'd ever wanted…all she'd ever needed. She couldn't live without him. Her genes be damned. If the survival of the diclonius meant the death of Kohta…then the diclonius would not succeed. The thought of him changing his mind about her…of choosing _that_ girl made her feel as if she was about to break. So fragile was she, despite having killed so many with ease. Her eyes instinctively closed and her head bowed low yet again. She couldn't say anything….

Her eyes snapped back open as she felt Kohta's arms wrap around her, pulling her close to him. One hand moved to her lower back, holding her firmly against him while the other traveled up her back, and to the back of her head, his fingers sliding into her hair. She relaxed, and found herself sliding her arms around his chest and waist. She buried her eyes into his shoulder and sighed, relieved. She felt slightly grimy, and smelled of salt water, making Kohta wonder what she's been doing all this time, but questions could wait. He searched his mind for something to say, anything that would ease her mind. He knew what she was thinking. She had expressed her fears to him on that night.

'_Oh Kohta…I don't deserve to be with you'_

'_..I've fought armies just to have this chance to talk with you…and now that it's here…there isn't anything I can say that would be good enough…Kohta I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…'_

There were so many things that he could say, so many things that he wanted to say…but right now, more than his feelings, he knew she needed to hear something else. Something not just from him. Something that would reassure her that she had a place in the cruel world that had shunned and hated her since childhood…

"Nyuu….We've missed you…welcome home…" he whispered softly into her ear. She tightened her grip on him, shaking silently. He stroked her hair gently, reassuring her without a word. He used his other hand to pull the gate shut and lock it, and returned it to her back. She removed her hands from around him, and placed them on his shoulders, pulling back slightly. He moved his hands to her waist, happy to see that her blood red eyes no longer held the uncertainty they did moments before, but showed a relieved glint.

"Kohta…I..."

"Don't worry Nyuu…we'll talk later." He interrupted. "Dinner's ready….and Yuka has a place set out for you."

The feeling of acceptance and belonging was never something she had experienced in full. She had felt it, or hints of it when she had been with Kohta all those years ago…but hearing Kohta reassure her, and to be told that she had a place at a table, she had a place at a home…her home… even though she had been gone for almost half a month, gave her a feeling of happiness she had never thought possible.

"You mean…she…you…" she stammered incoherently, trying to find the words that refused to come from her lips. Kohta merely smiled at her warmly, taking her wrists in his hands, and removing them from his shoulders. He let one hand go, and held her left hand firmly in his right. He turned and led her back to the house, kicking off his slippers as he reached the threshold. She stumbled to follow suit and remove her shoes as he led her quickly down the wooden halls of Kaida house, past the old grandfather clock, its pendulum swaying back and forth rhythmically, moving forward in time ever so steadily. A heavenly smell of warm beef, peppers and soy sauce entered through Nyuu's nose, causing her mouth to water, and reminding her just how unbelievably hungry she was. He made a quick turn, entering the doorway of the dining room with her in tow.

"Oh, Kohta, who was at the…." Mayu started but was immediately cut off by Yuka, who had a better vantage point compared to her.

"Nyuu!" she exclaimed, reaching up to wipe some stray rice from her chin. Nana looked up from what was now her second bowl of stir fry, her cheeks bulging from the mouthful of food. She managed to choke it down, making eye contact with the fellow diclonius, and gave her a warm, genuine smile.

"Hi Lucy, welcome back…..I'm glad to see you're ok." She said quietly. Things had certainly changed between them. Not too long ago they were trying to tear each other apart, limb from limb…in fact that had been the case for poor Nana. That seemed to have been forgotten, however. There was no need for them to fight, and they had both realized that. Nana was still defensive around her, but when she had been told to go back to Kaida house, and live peacefully with Kohta and the others, she finally understood. She wanted Nana to be happy.

"Um…welcome back, Nyuu." Mayu echoed, giving her a small smile as well. She looked over everyone's smiles with an awkward smile of her own, not knowing quite what to do. Internally, she was ecstatic. She felt…accepted. She truly belonged here; she was truly accepted, loved. This was her family…

Yuka's eye caught Nyuu's hand grasped in Kohta's, and found herself frozen, unable to move or speak. In the time she was gone, Yuka hadn't even been able to make Kohta notice her, let alone touch her in any way. Nyuu had been back all of 5 minutes, and he was already….She turned herself back to her food and began to eat with frustrated ferocity. Mayu looked at her with a confused hint of concern, while Nana saw this and decided that nobody would beat her at eating, and began to attack her bowl in the same manner. Kohta scratched the back of his head in confusion and looked over to Nyuu, who raised a curious eyebrow to acknowledge his confused look. He let go of her hand and made his way back to his seat, Nyuu following him and taking her place at the table on Yuka's left. She carefully picked up her bowl and reached to the center of the table and filled it with the mixture of beef and fried peppers. She donned her chopsticks and began eating almost as quickly as Nana and Yuka. Nana glanced across the table, and became even more frustrated, sensing another rival in this great battle of consumption and began eating even more quickly. Kohta eyed her nervously, growing more and more paranoid by the instant.

"Uh…Nana…you shouldn't eat so fast or you're goi-"

The young diclonius suddenly burst into a loud fit of coughing, launching food both onto the table and back into her bowl. She held her chest as she continued to cough and reached frantically for her cup of tea and downed the entire contents in a panic. All had stopped eating and given her a worried glance, and when she placed her empty cup of tea back down onto the table with a thud and a loud relieved sigh, resumed to eat once more.

Kohta let out a loud, exasperated sigh at her display.

"…going to choke." He finished. Nana laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head, looking down onto the mess of food she had projected onto the table.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll clean it up right away!" She said frantically, jumping to her feet. Mayu grasped her arm and tried to settle her down.

"Don't worry about it, Nana, we'll get it later, just finish your dinner."

"But I…eh…" she wanted to protest more, but the delicious food before her seemed to be calling her more than her feelings of obligation. Without another word she plopped back down in her seat and found her bowl again, this time eating carefully and slowly…well slowly for Nana anyway.

Yuka shook her head and let out a small chuckle, silently scolding herself for perhaps causing that scene, and also slightly relieved that it wasn't her who had choked. After all she had been eating just as fast. She gave a side glance to Kohta, quietly working on his bowl, occasionally taking a gulp of tea to wash down the food. She realized after a while she had been staring, and was grateful he was too involved in eating to notice, but at the same time, slightly annoyed that he didn't notice her, yet again; thus adding to her already growing frustration.

"…you jerk…" she muttered almost inaudibly, setting her now empty bowl down onto the table, and taking her cup of tea in hand.

Mayu had finished eating as well, and found herself staring worriedly at Nyuu.

'So…um…Nyuu?" She started sheepishly. Nyuu looked up from her food, giving Mayu her attention, but not halting her intake.

"….where have you been? I mean…I-…We were so worried about you…and…are you alright? It looks like your horns are gone…" She said with a weak determination. Mayu had become more and more outspoken since coming to live at Kaida house, but she was still in the process. She still had trouble expressing herself, but considering her past, she had grown by leaps and bounds. Even if she stayed shy and somewhat introverted, to see a genuine smile on her face everyday was more than enough. The smile had returned to her face because of Kohta after all, so she felt a sense of entitlement to make things easier on him whenever she could. If that meant prying answers out of Nyuu, she was prepared for that as well.

Nyuu settled her bowl down into her lap, and looked down into the last few bites that remained, feeling strangely put on the spot. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell them…she had wanted to tell them in fact, especially Kohta. But Mayu was still a young girl of 14. How do you tell her stories of killing, of blood and murder? She felt extremely guilty, and found that she could not look the young girl in the eyes. Mayu's brown inquisitive orbs seem to be beating down on her like the mid-day sun.

"Hey, Mayu, just let it go for now." Kohta declared softly.

All eyes fell upon him with a surprised confusion. Of all people, you would think Kohta would be the one most concerned about Nyuu's disappearance. He was always worried about others, and felt the need to help them, no matter what. His concern for them had changed the lives of Mayu and Nana so drastically, and so wonderfully. Even Nana was surprised he himself wasn't bombarding her with questions.

"…Nyuu just got back. She's probably starving, and exhausted. She'll tell us everything when she's ready. No need to force it, right?" he finished; his sea colored eyes met Nyuu's, which held a sort of relieved gratefulness about them, wordlessly thanking him for excusing her from the topic. He had assumed that whatever happened while she was gone involved heavy fighting, since her other horn had been broken off as well, although covered by her hair. That was hardly a story for someone as young as Mayu. He decided it would be best to find out what happened later on, and then find some way to explain it to Mayu in a less distressing way.

Several minutes and helpings of stir fry later, everyone had finally finished eating. Miraculously, there had been so much food there was even some left in the large pot in the center of the table. Yuka and Mayu felt relieved they had accidentally made so much. Nana had left her seat and was sprawled out on her back, saying how good everything was and how full she was. Mayu was giggling to herself watching her friend, while Yuka tried to start a conversation with Kohta about biology class.

"Kohta?" Nyuu said in a low tone, interrupting Yuka's rant about retroviruses and reverse transcriptase that had gone on entirely too long. They both glanced at her quizzically, receiving a cryptic blank look upon her features.

"..what is it?" Yuka asked in place of him after a moment, as no explanation was being volunteered.

"…I want….to tell you…." Her words trailed off there. She clutched her hands together on her thighs, attempting to force herself to utter the words she couldn't seem to say. She may have been back home where she belonged, but she still had a very hard time expressing what she felt. Kohta nodded, and Yuka quickly asked Mayu and Nana to go start on the dishes, who were too preoccupied with themselves to have noticed their conversation. They quickly scooped up everyone's bowls and dinner wear, and cleaned up Nana's scattered remains of food on the table before heading off to the kitchen all the while talking emphatically about ice cream, which Nana had just experienced for the first time the other day.

Nyuu relaxed a bit, seeing Mayu close the door behind her nonchalantly. She eyed Yuka suspiciously, secretly wanting her to leave as well. The brown haired college student returned her glance with nothing but concern however, making her feel slightly guilty for the thought. She was jealous of Yuka. In fact she had even hated her, ever since she saw her with Kohta at the festival that night. Sure she felt betrayed by Kohta, who had lied to her about the gender of his cousin, but it was her that the brunt of her malice was bared to. Then there was that day at the shrine she had seen her with Kohta after the rainstorm, grasping his hand like some type of newlywed, that triumphant grin plastered upon her face. It had enraged her so much she had thrown Yuka down a flight of stairs with her vectors, slamming her into the railing of the shrine steps. If Kohta hadn't been there, she'd have just severed her at the waist and been done with the foolish girl. She still didn't quite know how to feel about Yuka. The girl was obviously concerned about her, but…

Nyuu sat there silently, suddenly feeling a mix of shame, jealousy, awkwardness, and some other feelings she hadn't even felt before. Yuka looked to Kohta with a helpless confusion that suggested she didn't know what to say. Kohta thought for a moment, looking back to Nyuu who stared down into her lap, frozen. He wondered why she hesitated for a moment, and then kicked himself for not seeing it sooner.

"Hey Yuka, why don't you go help Mayu and Nana? I bet they could use it." Yuka gave him an aggravated look of protest, but his pleading gaze made her close her eyes and sigh heavily. She stood slowly and made her way out of the room, sliding the door closed with a loud thud nearly breaking the wooden frame. The chatter that could be heard coming from Nana and Mayu suddenly halted for a moment, startled by the loud noise of the door, but resumed after a slight pause.

Kohta looked away from Yuka's display and back to Nyuu, who had not changed positions in the least. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, he, studying her carefully, but quietly. He didn't want to force her to do anything she didn't want to. He figured that if she couldn't tell him yet, then he would wait. Just when he had decided to express that to her in words, he noticed her shoulders began to shiver, and she grasped her hands tightly in her lap. Seeing this, he stood quickly and took afew steps, coming to her side and kneeling down, placing reassuring hands onto her thin shoulders. Her head still bowed, he moved one hand to cup her chin and bring her eyes to meet his. She belied a heavy sadness in her expression, making him worry even more.

"Nyuu…"

She thrust herself forward, burying her face into his chest.

"Kohta….this whole time…I've been…wandering…" she began to speak finally. Perhaps it was easier for her this way, to talk to him without meeting his eyes, but at the same time being held reassuringly.

"…wandering?...Nyuu…I don't-"

"The last night you saw me…I went to face those soldiers."

He placed his hands on her back to both support her and to prod her to continue. She hesitated for a moment, collecting herself before resuming the story.

"…there were…a lot of them. I killed them all….but my other horn was taken off." She explained, her words slightly muffled into his chest.

"Mmm…well at least those horns won't be giving you anymore trouble." He said with a chuckle. The nostalgic reference made her smile despite her uncertainty at the moment. She pulled back from him and sat upright, turning her eyes to the corner of the room, away from him. He hadn't even mentioned the fact that she'd killed again…it had to bother him, so why…he had even said himself he wanted to do all he could to stop the bloodshed. She didn't want to think about that right now though…she just wanted to tell him…

"…they think I'm dead. At least…the higher ups do. I heard one of them report that when they injured me…"

"…I guess that makes sense. But Nyuu…where have you been since then? You said…wandering…"

That was it…she realized. He didn't care about them right now. He cared about her. He was worried. How could she not see that?

"Kohta…I …I didn't know if I should come back or not." Her reply made him frantic. She still didn't understand!

He shook her lightly, trying to emphasize his words. "…I told you before. I know you killed them…my sister…my father.." he shook his head violently to push himself to keep talking despite the horrible memory of seeing both his sister and father dismembered before his eyes.

"…but I want to be with you no matter what! I told you, that little girl I played with all those years ago, and the girl I met that day on the beach, I love them both! I can't explain it…I just…I know that I don't want you to leave again, Nyuu…"

She forced herself to meet his eyes. He had meant what he said that night, even though part of her couldn't believe it.

"…Lucy…" she muttered in a low tone.

"What?"

"…my real name is…Lucy."

"….you mean…those guys from the research lab gave you that name?"

She nodded sadly in response. He just smiled and shook his head, squeezing her arms lightly.

"…People like that…people who saw you as just some monster….they don't have the right to name you."

Her eyes widened in shock at his words.

"…You'll always be Nyuu to me. Besides…I think it suits you a whole lot better, don't you think?" he finished with a light smile.

She lowered her head once again, making him believe that maybe he had said something wrong for a moment. He was proved wrong however when she leaned closer to him, eyes still gently closed, and met his lips with hers for a moment before removing them and embracing him hard. He was slightly surprised by her assertiveness, but complied anyway and held her closer. He could feel the slow, rhythmic breaths of warm air on his neck.

"..You seem tired…why don't you take a bath and get some sleep?" He said in a low tone, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, sending shivers up her spine. She had to admit…it sounded nothing short of divine.

"…a..alright." she stammered.

He stood from where he knelt, holding onto her tightly, bringing her up with him. He relaxed his hold on her having reached his feet, and gave her a quick smile before breaking the embrace and walking her to the sliding door.

"Go on ahead; I think the bath should be ready by now. I'll ask Yuka to see if she has any clean clothes for you too." With that, he stepped out into the hall and began towards the kitchen. Nyuu stood there motionless, holding both arms firmly across her chest. She truly felt at home, making her feel incredibly foolish for having avoided Kaida house for so long, for walking past it so many times, not having the will power to walk to the gate and knock. She reached up and lightly touched her fingertips to her lips, as if to feel a lingering sense of his lips on them.

Her pleasant recall of the previous scene was cut short as a speeding Nana had run into her from behind, sending her taking several steps forward to keep her balance, while Nana had fallen back onto her rear much less gracefully.

"Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!" she exclaimed holding her lower back. Nyuu turned to the younger diclonius with an annoyed look. Nana donned a look of guilt and stood up rather smoothly considering her prosthetic limbs.

"Sorry about that!" she said passively. "…but anyway Lucy, Kohta wanted me to tell you that the bath is ready, you can go first so-"

"Nyuu." She cut off her younger compatriot.

"Huh?" Nana said with a look that for most people would be confused, but for Nana, one would say 'confuzzled'.

"…my name is Nyuu." She finished with a small grin. "…I'll head for a bath now."

With that, she made her way down the hall, and turned her room, leaving Nana watching her with interest.

'_I guess you really have changed...huh…"Nyuu"?_


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Chapter 2

'_I'm telling you! I don't like little brats who lie!' _

'_Kohta! We have to get out of here now or she's gonna kill us too!'_

'_You're crazy! Apologize to my friend right now Kanae! Or else…I'll hate you forever!'_

'…_oh Kohta...please don't say that…please don't say you'll hate me…'_

He stood still, in a daze, watching Kanae's torso separate from her legs. Her upper half flung to the ground on her chest, he watched horrified as the warm crimson fluid flowed across the train's dirty floor, covering the stray pieces of gum and food wrappers tossed aside. Her face was pale, her eyes wide in shock, yet held no glint, no color. Her once brilliantly colored brown eyes were hazed, holding no energy, no life in them. Tears still flowed from them lifelessly, like droplets from a faucet not completely shut off.

'_Kohta? What's going on here?'_

The calm, masculine voice from behind brought him back to reality, allowing his body to obey his commands for a moment. He turned, wanting to leap into his arms. Before he could, he looked up to his father's concerned face to see blood gush from his throat, his head thrown from his body. It hit the ground with a loud thud, and his limp body soon followed after. The spray of blood from his neck had rained down upon the young boy, lightly coating him in the warm, thick solution.

'_DAD?'_

Kohta bolted upright, trying to scream, but the only thing that passed by his dry lips was a pitiful whimper, devoid of breath. He grasped the sides of his head, his eyes widened, darting around frantically. His breathing was erratic and uncontrolled, his heart beating uncontrollably. He was coated in a layer of cold sweat, and he trembled terribly all over, his fingers shaking his head more than supporting it. After a few moments, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he began to take in the surroundings. His breathing began to stabilize, but his heartbeat still continued on heavily, each beat echoing in his ears.

"…just…a dream…" he muttered in a low tone, more to convince himself of it than anything. Although he had realized he was not on that train, he wasn't twelve years old again…he wasn't watching them be murdered again…his body refused to allow him to break away from the images that plagued him. He had repressed these memories for so long, it was only natural that they would bombard him now that he had dug them out of the recesses of his mind. He fell onto his back in his futon with a long sigh, holding his hands to his face, rubbing his cheeks and forehead, trying to relieve any amount of stress. Lately, he had been thinking of them quite often.

He had only remembered the grizzly truth on that day, two weeks ago. Seeing the girl he called Nyuu tear through soldiers as if they were nothing, their limbs detached, blood flowing down the bridge like a river. Their bodies were torn asunder by unseen hands, their fear, their agony filling the air with a heavy despair, making it hard to breathe. The memories had crashed down upon him like the wrath of heaven itself. Despite all that, he found himself diving on top of her to protect her from stray bullets. She had run off…telling him to wait for her by the stone steps…and he had. He stumbled there in a daze, his legs heavy with the weight of his own sadness. He sat on one of the top steps, and the sun set beyond the deep blue of the ocean's waves. The sky had been stained a deep red that night, fitting of the massacre. His mind wandered aimlessly, recalling the past he had tried to desperately to lock away. He struggled within himself, wondering what he would do, or what he would say to her when she returned. In the end, he couldn't come up with an answer until she had tried to walk away from him. It hurt unbelievably, and he still hadn't quite yet come to terms with it. The only thing he did know for sure at that moment was that he didn't want her to leave. His words had flowed from him without hesitation or thought, which only validated them all the more. He found himself surprised by his own words as he embraced her from behind, professing his feelings. Since then, he has constantly battled within himself. What he feels…what is right…what is wrong…he had no rest it seemed, even in his sleep.

"…Kanae…Dad…" he mumbled to himself, his voice cracking. He clenched his eyes shut behind his hands, feeling the strange moisture building.

"….what do I do…I'm…I'm…in love with her…the girl that…that took your lives…what do I-.."

He turned onto his side, curling himself slightly into the fetal position, clutching his pillow tightly.

"…do you hate me?" he asked to unheard ears, his voice muffled into his pillow. "Please…tell me…I don't know what to do…Kanae… Dad…forgive me…" Stray tears fell from his clenched eyes, dampening the thick pillow. He stayed in that position for a time unbeknownst to him. He lay in the darkness, trying desperately to hold back his tears. He had to be strong after all, for them. What if someone had heard him and were to walk in? He couldn't let them see him like this. He simply clutched the pillow to himself and laid there silently, until at last he fell into a dazed sleep.

* * *

"Kohta…you awake?" Yuka asked with slight annoyance in her voice. She knocked lightly on his door frame with the back of her knuckle, raising a suspicious eyebrow towards the room. She waited for a moment, hearing no reply. Her eyebrow twitched with annoyance and she flung his door open, treading into his room. She looked down on him with frustration, both hands on her hips. He was curled on his side, hugging his pillow as he slept quite soundly. That was great, of course he was sleeping! They had to be at class in 20 minutes, and it takes 15 minutes to get there, why wouldn't he be sleeping?

"…Kohta! We're going to be late again if you don't get up!"

His brow furrowed unconsciously, and he turned onto his other side, facing away from her. He let out a small groan, the type that can be perceived as 'leave me alone'. She sighed heavily, turning her head towards the door, collecting herself. For someone who always felt the need to shoulder responsibility to help others, he sure couldn't take care of himself! He couldn't even wake up on time!

"I said….get UP!" she yelled out, delivering a hard kick to his lower back. He arched his back, letting out a loud yelp. He clutched his back and bellowed a low painful growl before rolling onto his back and looking Yuka in the face from his place on the floor.

"God! What was that for?"

"I already told you! We're going to be late!"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for him to get up and begin getting ready. He sat up slowly, scratching the back of his head before rubbing his eyes tiredly. He searched her features for a moment with a blank stare, her expression more irritated than concerned.

"I don't think I'm gonna go today, Yuka…"

"Why? So you can look after Nyuu all day?" she asked immediately, her words spiteful and stinging. He always worried about her. He would sacrifice things in his own life just so that things were even the slightest bit easier for Nyuu. This time she wasn't going to let him get away with it. He looked at her with surprise, the tone of her voice sending a quick twinge of heavy guilt through his body.

"Well you can forget it! We have a biology test today, in case you haven't forgotten!"

"…oh yeah…" he mumbled to himself, looking down into his lap. He couldn't very well skip an exam if he wanted to maintain his grade. He had studied for it, fortunately, but the material was still pretty difficult, even after countless hours of reading and note taking.

"So hurry up and get ready! I'll wait for you outside." With that she made her way quickly out of his room, deliberately leaving the door open as she left. He shook his head slightly, trying to wake himself up somehow. He hadn't slept much last night. He had lain in bed most of the night, his mind running rampant. He couldn't stop wondering about what Nyuu had told him, and more questions seemed to build up in him the more he thought about it. Wandering? Wandering what? The streets? How did she eat? Where did she sleep? And that was just the beginning of his pondering. When he had finally fallen into a slumber, that horrific nightmare jolted him from his rest.

He looked to the window, watching the subtle rays of sunlight filter in through the blinds, coloring the floor and seemingly making it glow. He much preferred the radiance of the daytime to the void of darkness that was night, though he was the exact opposite of what many consider a 'morning person.' Yuka could attest to that. Finally having worked up the strength to thrust the sheet and blanket from his legs, which for some reason was quite hard to do in the mornings, he stood. Taking another stretch, he proceeded to dress himself and run a hand through is tussled hair. Scooping up his backpack quickly, he made his way out into the hall and towards the door. He walked lightly as if on egg shells, not wanting to disturb Nana, Mayu, or Nyuu from their rest. Shoving his feet into his shoes, he opened the door and joined Yuka outside. She barely gave him a glance before heading for the gate.

"Uh…Yuka? Something wrong?"

"Just shut up and let's go, I don't wanna be late again. Professor Demetri isn't exactly pleased with us lately."

He gave her a concerned look before hurrying to fall into step beside her. The walk to campus had been awkwardly silent. They both walked side by side, not saying a word, nor giving a glance to the other. Although a sunny day, the winds were a bit colder than usual, making Kohta wish he had worn a jacket instead of his simple long sleeved shirt and jeans. Yuka, always thinking ahead of course had worn some form hugging khaki pants and a nicely patterned sweater. The awkwardness died down once they had reached the lecture hall, since there really was no way to hold a conversation while in class. Yuka listened intently to the professor discuss the finer points of writing and language, taking notes and absorbing the information carefully. Kohta seemed more preoccupied with the biology test at 10 o' clock, and was reviewing notes taken from lecture.

"Hmm…you, in the navy shirt." Professor Demetri called out into the audience. All 150 sets of eyes turned to Kohta, still intently focusing on his non relevant material. Yuka gave him a hard thrust with her elbow to get his attention. Startled, he looked to her, then to the professor.

"Um…me?" He asked with a frightened look, typical of a deer staring down a set of headlights.

"Yes, you. Perhaps you can tell us what correlation there is between the social situation of Europe at that time period and Shakespeare's work, namely Hamlet when he said, 'Frailty, thy name is woman.'?"

"I…uh……"

The professor examined him with interest for a moment, hearing his words trail off. He gave a small chuckle to the young boy.

"Haha…indeed…pay attention will you please?"

"Uh, yes sir! Sorry!"

There were scattered muffled whispers as well as snickering around him for a moment while the professor returned to the lecture. He looked to Yuka for some type of support, but she merely rolled her eyes at him and continued with her notes. He gave a quiet sigh, having felt the entire population of the lecture hall have a good laugh at his expense. Now that he had been pinpointed on the all powerful professor radar, he decided it best to pay attention for the duration of the lecture.

* * *

With a low sigh, Kohta threw open the door to the intimidatingly large lecture hall, closing the door quietly behind him so as not to disturb the other poor students still struggling with the exam. The test had really been a difficult one, he was glad he had reviewed his notes a bit in his literature lecture despite the embarrassment. He adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and rounded the corner, reviewing some of his answers in his head.

"How'd you do?" Yuka asked from her place against the wall, startling him slightly.

"Oh…Yuka. I guess I did alright. You must have done great to finish as soon as you did."

She shook her head slightly, pushing away from the wall.

"Yeah well I study a lot more than you."

"...yeah, yeah." He grumbled, adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder again.

"Anyway, I waited up for you. I don't have any more classes, and you have a little while before your next class right?"

He nodded simply in response, starting down the long polished hallway floor, Yuka falling into step next to him.

"…then…do you wanna go get some coffee? The coffee house in the student union is pretty good."

"…sure"

They walked to the union together, braving the still bitter winds and the memories of the exam. Kohta started to ask her about specific questions on the test, finding he most likely got more wrong than he had initially thought. Just his luck. If he had known the test was going to be so difficult he would have taken studying much more seriously. It was still alright though, he had gotten relatively high scores on the other two exams, so his grade was still stable…for the moment anyways. He followed Yuka as she led the way into one of the many doors in the series. Why were there always so many doors to the various buildings on campus? It's not as if that many people come and go at a specific time. Perhaps fire code?

She navigated them through the complex system of hallways and corridors, coming at last to the main hall of the student union, where there was nestled a small coffee house that was quite busy, feeding the ever present demand for caffeine that fueled the college minds and got them through the day. No scholar can function on 4 hours of sleep after all. It wasn't a chain store like so many that dotted the campus, but a student-run, student endorsed coffee shop. It was small, simple, and very quaint. Quiet and comfortable, much like any bookstore you would wander into. Students sitting at the many rounded tables conversed quietly, or read to themselves, sipping at their drinks that had stained the air with a pleasant, warm sensation. A few minutes of standing in line had brought them to the front counter manned by a very eccentric young man. After carefully contemplating the matter at hand, both youths finally decided on what type of coffee they felt was worth nearly 800 yen. They made their way to a vacant table, setting down their book bags and miscellaneous possessions before falling into the dark wooden chairs. The small table had a large square in the center that was checkered with alternating light and dark woods, most likely for engaging in games of chess.

Kohta relaxed against the back of the chair, holding onto his Styrofoam cup with one hand, rotating it back and forth on the table's surface in a rhythmic fashion, taking short sips every now and then. Yuka had taken the lid off of hers, and was staring down into the dark liquid, the steam rising off and dissipating into the air quickly. They sat in an uneasy silence for several moments. Kohta wondered why she was acting so strangely, while she was busy trying to decide how she was going to convey what she desired to say. Expressing herself was never her strong suit. Whenever things got difficult, she was the first to get angry, and the first to cry in frustration. She was trying to change that, but altering a part of yourself is never an easy thing to do. She fidgeted in her chair for a while, and finally looked at him, having made up her mind.

"Kohta?" She grabbed his attention quite effectively. His eyebrow rose slightly as he focused in on her words, and tuned out the random conversations hanging in the air.

"You remember when we went looking for Nyuu? It started pouring…and we…took shelter from it at an old shrine in the park…"

He took a tentative sip at his coffee and turned his gaze to the cup. A sinking feeling in his stomach arose, as he knew where this was going. This wasn't going to end well, he could already tell. He wasn't ready to answer the questions she desperately needed assurance of. He hadn't even sorted out his feelings on the entire matter, in other words, he couldn't answer those questions for himself, let alone another person. But not responding would be even worse…

"…yeah. I remember." He responded simply.

"…you held me close that day…and we kissed for the first time." Her eyes focused on him, yet were distant, as if replaying the episode again in her mind. He could only imagine how many times she had done so. To her, that must have been what she had thought to be the beginning of their relationship, an admittance of love. That's not how he had meant it…he barely remembered it.

"…doesn't that mean anything?"

"Yuka…what are you-"

"I asked you a question Kohta!" she yelled, cutting him off. He looked around, startled; finding many of the patrons of the shop had halted their conversations and turned their attention towards him and Yuka.

"…listen…Yuka. Maybe this isn't the best place to talk about this. Let's go and we can-"

"Oh! As if you'll talk to me about it anyways Kohta! All you ever do is avoid any serious subject with me!"

"Yuka please. People are staring." He pleaded, trying to calm her down. Whenever she got upset, things never ended very gracefully.

"…what does she have that I don't?" she asked in a low tone, almost a whisper. He looked at her in confusion as she wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"I love you so much Kohta…ever since we were kids. I gave up so many things just to be with you, and she comes in and…." She stopped speaking for a moment, trying to compose herself.

"What makes her so special?" she asked finally, averting her eyes.

Kohta struggled with himself for a bit, trying to formulate a thought, trying to find some kind of explanation that would soothe her somehow.

"Yuka, I don't really know how I feel right now. Everything's changed so fast, and-"

"You liar…" she said spitefully, cutting him off once again. "…it's written all over your face. I'm nothing more to you than just a friend, a cousin. You're in love with Nyuu, and you have been since you met her! I thought that maybe you felt the same about me, but I've been so stupid…I'm always second place…"

She stood quickly, scooping up her belongings. Kohta reached out and grasped her arm to stop her from leaving, but her petite form made it easy for her to slip her wrist out of his grasp, and deliver a stinging slap across his left cheek. His head turned instantaneously with the force of the strike, and he did not move afterward. He could feel her tear filled eyes watching him with hurt, anger, frustration, and worst of all: betrayal. He could not bear to meet their intense gaze. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, leaving the crowded coffee shop in a hurry. The momentarily silent room began to become louder with whispers, filled with gossip and speculation over what had just happened. The whispers grew into scattered tones of increasing volume, rising in a steady crescendo. Kohta heard various voices saying things such as 'He probably cheated on her' or 'maybe he broke up with her'. All of them were wrong, of course…well…perhaps maybe all of them were right in a sense.

After a few moments, he finally turned his head to his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder and taking up the two coffee cups, depositing them into a trash receptacle on his way out of the building.

* * *

It must have been past 7. The sun was setting behind the horizon, and the streets were becoming darker, and in the air hung an ominously cold wind. The only sounds came from wandering pieces of discarded paper and fallen leaves that fluttered across the ground in the gusts of autumn wind. It seemed very dead. Kohta had gone to the library on campus and studied in a daze, almost unconsciously. That was his defense mechanism. Whenever things would get to the point where it hurt to think about them, he would flip a switch inside his psyche, and deaden his senses until he was ready to deal with them. Sometimes he would repress things to the point that if left alone, he would never address them. Growing up, no one had ever shown him how to deal with his problems. He had to deal with them in the only way he knew how: to not deal with them. Maybe it wasn't efficient, but it didn't hurt nearly as much. Somehow, hiding from things didn't make him feel much better, despite everything else.

He took slow, controlled steps, his eyes glazed over from more than just exhaustion. He could see Kaida house only about a block away. The locations of the lights on in the large home made him assume they were finishing dinner by this point. His thoughts drifted to Nyuu, wondering how she was feeling. Had she slept long enough? Had she talked to the others at all?

His train of thought then went to Yuka, wondering if she was even at home. If she was, things were bound to be very tense when he walked through the door, which had snuck up on him, so it seemed, as he found himself closing the gate behind him and heading up the stone pathway to the front door. The house was surprisingly quiet, and no loud noises or exclamations could be heard from Nana tripping or dropping dishes, as she was highly prone to doing. He stood before the magnificently crafted wooden doors, attempting to summon the courage to walk through the door and brave the wrath of Yuka that most likely awaited him, if she was home that is. Where else would she go though?

Deciding he might need a few minutes, he turned and sat down on the edge of the patio's floor, plating his feet in the moist grass. He set his backpack beside him and took in a deep breath, looking to the stars, which were barely visible due to the light pollution of the city. This didn't help his avoidance of thinking about his current problems, however. Having nothing to do, being all alone at night always had a way of making you think. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to endure his own prosecution long, as he heard the door slide open behind him. He didn't dare look, what if it was Yuka?

"Oh…there you are Kohta! Wondered where you were." A young cheerful voice chimed. The owner of the voice bounded down the patio's surface and plopped down next to him at the edge.

"Hey Nana…what's up?"

"Oh..nothing. Just finished eating. There's still some left if you're hungry."

"…you mean you didn't eat it all?" She looked annoyed for a moment, then shook her head and plastered a goofy grin on her delicate features.

"Nope! Yuka made too much! She looked really tired though…went to bed right after she made dinner, didn't even eat it…"

"..I see…"

"…Nyuu got up out of bed for a while. She must've smelled all the good food!"

He glanced back at the young girl with interest. "Is she feeling alright?"

She shrugged haphazardly, kicking her feet back and forth off the edge of the patio. "She got up, ate dinner, then said she was going back to bed. She looked really tired too…and come to think about it, so do you! Why is everyone so tired? It's weird!"

He couldn't help but smile at her. Her innocence and cheerful demeanor always made him laugh.

"…just one of those days I guess. How's Mayu?"

"Eh…she's doing dishes I think…I snuck out when she wasn't looking. I hate doing dishes!" she said, making a sour face at the mere thought of cleaning dinnerware. She brought herself out of her grimace to notice the strange look on his face. She wasn't the most perceptive girl around, but she could definitely tell when Kohta was depressed. His face betrayed all his feelings. One wouldn't really say he had a poker face.

"…so…what's wrong Kohta?"

He was surprised by her question, and quickly managed a smile to reassure her. "Nothing! Just tired, school and stuff…"

Nana's brow furrowed with annoyance. "oh c'mon! I may not be able to help that much, but I can still listen! I'm not a kid y'know?"

Now this was definitely a surprise. Nana was usually happy with just being ignorantly oblivious to things of this nature. She didn't let things like this upset her, she just carried on as usual, skipping through life one might say. He must really look upset for Nana to try to cheer him up, that or she was growing up right before his eyes. He couldn't really imagine Nana as an adult. Even in a few years, he'll still see her as a 14 year old girl. But if she was trying to help, he might as well tell her in general the problem. Hell, she might even be able to help.

After a few moments of considering how he should word this without divulging the specifics, he settled on a plan and began to speak.

"Well…lately I've been thinking about my dad and my little sister…" he began, Nana bringing her legs under her and facing him with great interest. "They both passed away when I was still a kid."

"…are you still sad because they died?"

"eh…well yes…but that's not the real problem. I've…uh…been thinking lately that maybe the decisions I've made in my life… or the decisions I'm about to make…or want to make…well you get what I'm saying. I'm just worried that they'll be ashamed of me…or angry with me. I don't know what to do." He finished cryptically.

She brought her hand to her mouth, and hmm'd as she considered his confusing words carefully. Honestly, she didn't know what in God's name he was saying. She bolted up from where she sat, deciding on what to say.

"Well Kohta…I don't really know anything about little sisters…but if your dad was anything like Papa…he just wants you to be happy! I don't think he'd care about what decisions you make as long as it feels right to you and makes you happy."

Kohta was speechless. Of all the random things that came out of this girls mouth, this made more sense to him than anything anyone had ever told him before, at the time at least. Everything considered, it sounds exactly like what his father would say. 'Son, I just want you to be happy.' He could almost envision his father's masculine face, his sister's hopeful eyes. It was so simple. He stared back at her for a moment, her reassuring grin strangely comforting. "I uh…" he stammered.

"Oh…I didn't help very much did I?" she pouted.

Kohta shook his head calmly. "Nana…you helped more than you know. I think I know what to do now…thank you."

She giggled and rubbed the back of her head slowly, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

"Yeah well…you know…"

"Hey…why don't you show me to this food? I actually am kinda hungry."

* * *

Kohta stepped out of the bathroom, taking careful, quiet steps into the hall. It was late, and everyone was most likely sleeping, didn't want to disturb them. He made his way back to his room and fell back into his futon. He wasn't sleeping well yet again. At least tomorrow was Friday, he only had one class, and it wasn't until noon. Yuka didn't have any classes on Friday, so that piece of tension wouldn't be present either, should be a relatively easy day, despite being sleep deprived. Even though Nana's words had opened up an entirely new line of thought within him, he still found himself thinking intensely about everything. First there was Yuka, he didn't even know where to start with that topic. Then there was school, he would have to get a job soon to help pay for that as well. Then there was Nyuu. That subject brought up all sorts of mixed feelings within him.

Light footsteps could be heard out in the hall, to which he paid little mind; probably Mayu going to the kitchen or something. But the footsteps stopped at his room, and he could hear the door slowly slide open, and then closed. He turned in bed, his eyes fully adjusted to the dark having been awake in it for so many hours.

Speak of the devil…Nyuu stood at his doorway in a small tank top and pajama bottoms, more hand me downs from Yuka. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight that filtered through the blinds near the window, and her crimson hair and eyes stood out all the more in the darkness. Before he could manage to ask her anything, she took tentative steps towards him, and sat down beside him. He sat up in bed, meeting her eyes that held a familiar look he had seen so many times. Sadness, regret, futility, loneliness…all mixed into a silent cyclone that made up her bright irises.

"…Nyuu? What's wrong?"

She did not respond, and snaked her arms around his waist, leaning her weight against him. She rested her cheek onto his chest, hearing his heartbeat echo in her ears. It calmed her so.

"…I don't want to be alone tonight…." She whispered. He didn't know what had made her so forward, but it seemed to come from more than just a desire, it was a need. She seemed so very tired; she must not have been resting very soundly. It was at this moment that he made his decision. She made him happy, he wanted to be with her…and that's what his father and Kanae would have wanted, right? It felt right to be with her…

He understood now. He brought one arm off the ground and encircled her waist and fell to his back, using his now free arm to lift back his sheets and pull her closer to him, flinging the linens over both their bodies. She moved closer to him, dangling one of her legs over his and resting her head on his chest. Her other arm curled to her body, while the other draped across his stomach, and her breathing fell into a steady rhythm. Feeling her fall asleep against him, he let his head fall comfortably onto his pillow, and for the first time in almost a month, he slept soundly and peacefully through the night.

* * *

Author's Note

_And there's chapter 2 folks. The next chapter will be the last one for this story. Hope you're enjoying. Keep the reviews coming! _


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note_

I just want to send out a big thanks to all of you who have been reading this story, and especially to all of you who left me reviews. This story has been so well received, much more so than I predicted. I'm really glad you are all enjoying it, but all things must come to an end, and unfortunately so must this story. This is the last chapter, but by popular demand, it will be a longer chapter than the rest. Sorry if you wanted it to keep going, but I'd rather have people say "why are you stopping?" than "hey…why don't you stop?" You know? Anyways, read, review, leave me some lovin, and most of all, enjoy!

Chapter 3

It was such an oppressive day, both to the body and to the spirit. Heavy gray and black clouds filled the sky, creating a patchwork net that prevented any rays of light from reaching the ground. Though mid-morning, it was almost as dark as if it were night. Rain fell in large droplets, and in quick succession, pounding the ground and foliage in a constant torrent. The ground was extremely wet, puddles of murky water appearing in patches even in grass. The sound of the falling rain gave the false notion that a steady stream rushed by. Fall was funny that way- you never knew what to expect. Some days it would be warm and bright all day, sometimes it would be frigid in the morning, but almost like summer by afternoon. Then there were days like today, so unfitting for a Friday. The heavy rains brought with them a cold wind that made the falling water that much more abhorrent. The ground however was still quite warm from the passing season, and despite the cool temperature of the air and rain, water was still evaporating, causing a thick layer of fog to hang over the small beach-side town, like some kind of ominous omen that projected neither good nor bad fortune.

It was especially quiet, save for the rain of course. The streets were devoid of people, except for the occasional car passing by slowly, careful to mind the slippery conditions. Their headlights did little to light the way, the beams reflecting off of the moisture in the air, serving to blind the driver rather than make navigation any easier. Even the birds, who were usually so busy in the morning were nowhere to be seen, hiding from the downpour in whatever makeshift shelter they could manage .Everyone had already trudged through the obstacles of the weather to get to work, and the younger demographic had run to school under thin umbrellas, including Mayu. On days like today, Kaida house seemed almost abandoned. Its beautiful hardwood floored halls and traditional architecture seemed more uncertain than rustic on days like this. It didn't help that Nana slept in until noon, or sometimes later. Nyuu was still sleeping too, although she doesn't talk much in the first place. As for Kohta…well…

Yuka let out a loud sigh, forcing herself to look away from the kitchen window. She was exhausted, having gotten little sleep last night; thinking of course, as per usual. Surprisingly, she came to a few conclusions through her meditation, which was quite a change from her usual routine of brooding about whatever was bothering her for hours, only to end up even more frustrated than before. She would always cry in frustration, perhaps punch a pillow or two, and sit alone, simply thinking. Running all the recent scenarios and conversations that had transpired to lead up to her present state, no matter what was bothering her. It was a set protocol she had developed subconsciously, a coping strategy that the psyche would concoct over the years, as many often did. Hers wasn't exactly original, or effective most of the time, but it did relieve stress somehow.

Yuka returned her attention to the sink full of now luke-warm soapy water she had her hands immersed in, and began cleaning the dishes leftover from the breakfast for two she had made earlier that morning. She usually made something for Mayu before she would run off to school. She would have done so anyway, but to give Mayu a sense of normalcy made her feel that much more motivated. She couldn't imagine her real parents ever doing anything of the sort for their daughter, although she tried her hardest not to think of that most of the time. It would enrage her so much she would feel it was almost her duty to go give them a piece of her mind, or maybe a hard slap to the face, but that wouldn't be very responsible or lady-like, so she restrained herself. She continued wiping off the various plates and glasses with the washrag and rinsing them off before placing them in the adjacent sink to dry, almost autonomously. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Mayu had really become like a sister to her, even though Mayu had told her herself that she viewed Yuka as more of a mother than anything. But the thought of her being the mother, and Kohta the father of Kaida house….it wasn't exactly realistic….

"So…did you talk to him?"

Mayu had asked her, sheepishly, with her right index touching her chin in an innocent gesture. Of course Mayu had known about Yuka's feelings towards Kohta. In fact, she was the first to notice. Since then, they had often talked about the situation, much to Yuka's relief. Having someone to talk to about such intimate and confusing feelings was a Godsend, and Mayu was such a great listener. She was so simplistic about the way she looked at things, but that was a very good thing when it comes to the already overly-complicated topic of her feelings. She had a unique way of breaking things down and, ironically enough, being more rational than most adults when it came to these things. It was Mayu who had given Yuka the nerve to ask Kohta out to the coffee shop in the first place, though it hadn't turned out as well as she had hoped. She felt slightly guilty for slapping him again, and leaving him there. What the onlookers must have thought…

That didn't bother her too much, however. Maybe she had been immature, and maybe she had been overreacting, but she was upset! That warrants something right? She didn't even have to speak to him that day. All her questions, her fears, they had been answered before he uttered a single word. The way he looked at her…sure it held love, but not the kind she wanted. It was love for a cousin, and a friend that he held for her, not the warm compassion of a lover. When she asked him about that day at the shrine, his eyes became distant. He was thinking of someone else…and she knew exactly who.

She didn't want to accept it. She had convinced herself it was just pity, it wasn't love, he could return her feelings…right? This was just some turbulence they were coming upon…it was just like a romance novel. The young couple gets separated by another woman, but eventually the young man realizes that he really loves the heroine of the story, and comes back to her….it was what she hoped for with all her heart…but that isn't life. Things don't always happen the way you want them to…she had finally realized that….but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

When she had explained what had happened over the simple breakfast of toast, cereal, and fruit, Mayu had listened intently while nibbling on her morning nourishment. She had frowned heavily, her youthful chocolate colored eyes filling with sympathy for her 'mother'.

"…I'm so sorry Yuka…" she had conveyed with heavy compassion. Yuka had only smiled slightly and shook her head, much to her surprise.

"…it's ok Mayu, thanks for listening. Actually…I kinda knew in a way."

Her smile faded momentarily, as she seemed to be struggling to find her words…or maybe it was more than that? Mayu was the only other person who had even an inkling of how much she loved Khota. It should have been a fairytale romance for Yuka. She deserved it, after all…

"But…I've decided Mayu. Since I've kinda known about it for a while, it was easier for me to come to a conclusion…. I'm not moving out, so don't worry."

Yuka had looked almost at the edge of tears by this point, making Mayu want to cry for her, since she seemed to be refusing to. She hated seeing Yuka like this…she was so strong most of the time. Of course she knew more than anyone that nobody was invincible, we're all human. We all feel pain, we all are uncertain, frightened, scared at times….but Yuka, and Khota for that matter always hid whatever was bothering them. Maybe that was just something you do when you get older? It was for her sake that they acted as if things were fine, and she knew that…but…she just wanted them to be happy. They shouldn't have to hide anything…there shouldn't be anything to hide.

She was relieved to hear her say that she wasn't moving out, however. She had begun to worry about what might happen to her newfound family with such tension hanging in the air, but Yuka had quickly put those fears to rest. She really was so caring towards her…that's probably the reason she felt so comfortable around her. Yuka had a way of reassuring her before she could even begin to worry. She must have known her so well…sometimes she really did forget they weren't related.

Yuka sniffed and took a sip of coffee, closing her eyes as she brought the cup to her lips. She sighed lightly, placing it back down gently on the tabletop. Mayu had wanted to say something else, but was rushed out the door after that sentence, Yuka warning her she was going to be late for first period if she stayed any longer. She knew it best not to argue with her, and had grabbed her things before rushing out into the rain, yelling a quick 'goodbye Wanta' to the dark doghouse, hearing a single muffled bark as she rushed outside the gate and down the street.

Yuka's grin now turned into a full blown, genuine smile as the events of this morning played through her mind again. Mayu was becoming more and more like the little sister she never had. She finished the last of the dishes, pulling the stopper out from the bottom of the sink, the water making a loud gurgling sound as it rushed down the drain. She dried her hands off on a nearby hand towel that had been sloppily discarded on the countertop, and noted the time. 10:15.

Kohta had class at 11. Needless to say, he needed to get up. She sighed heavily, asking herself once again why she had to practically drag him out of bed every morning to make sure he got to class on time. She would often wonder how in the hell he would ever survive living alone. Would he still be this lazy, or does he just expect her to do everything? Even though she felt slightly better about their situation, she really didn't feel like doing him favors right now, but that would be immature. She had to show that he wasn't bothering her, right? She let out a long sigh.

'_I swear, if he EVER did something on his own I'd think he was sick or something!_'

As she made her way down the oaken hallway, she became aware of the damp hand towel still in her grasp. It was just damp enough, that if wrapped around itself and snapped, could cause quite a bit of pain; the perfect tool to wake him up, not to mention take out some aggression. Sure it was a little mean, even evil, but it was justified, she decided. Besides, the look of shock on his face would be well worth it.

As she came upon his door, she decided maybe it would be only fair to give him a warning before delivering a locker room style towel snap to the poor sleeping victim. She wasn't that mean, after all.

"Oh Kooohtaa! You better be awake!" she yelled towards the room, knocking heavily on the door. Hearing no response other than slight stirring of sheets, she grasped the handle and slid open the door, ready to cross the room swiftly and deliver the snap. As the door opened, light from the hall flooded the room, and uncovered something she hadn't expected.

Kohta was stirring in a dazed state, in the process of sitting up by placing his weight on his forearms behind him. That of course wasn't what shocked her. What had stopped her cold was the figure draped lazily over him under the sheets… the crimson hair that spilled over his stomach, the pale arm that was wrapped possessively around his waist…

Kohta's sleepy eyes met Yuka's, and at this moment, his glazed over orbs became widened, alert, while hers exchanged their deviant, mischievous look for one that was so filled with anguish one could only describe it as such. There was a long, awkward silence, as she stared into the dark room, the light from the hall casting her shadow deep into the room, almost touching his bedding. She clutched the towel in her hand firmly as it hung lazily, just above the surface of the floor. Kohta knew what Yuka was assuming, of course, anyone would assume the same. But trying to explain to her it wasn't what she thought would be pointless. How could he? He would be lying if the thought hadn't crossed his mind at some point last night, but…he felt so awful, looking at her painful eyes, now welling up with moisture. To realize the concept was one thing…but to actually see it….that was quite a different story.

He wanted to say something, anything.

In the end…there was nothing he could say.

"….you're going to be late….if you don't leave soon." She said in a low, monotone voice before sliding the wooden door shut quietly. He heard her light footsteps trail away from his door, and fade away almost as abruptly as they had started.

He stared at the closed door for quite some time. The pang of guilt he felt for causing her sadness had now increased 10 fold. Normally…he would expect Yuka to start yelling, having seen what she had; The fact that she was so quiet about it…so calm even….it made it seem that much more real. That wasn't the look of betrayal or shock; that was a look of devastated acceptance, like a child being lectured on what death is after his dog has died, the realization that he will never see his dog, or play with him again hitting him like a heavy weight. What could he do to help? He doubted that he was the first person she wanted to speak with right now. He couldn't stand for others to be angry with him…especially if he caused them pain.

He was shaken from his internal debate when Nyuu shifted, inhaling deeply through her nose and stretching out slightly. She lifted her head from his stomach for a moment, and looked up at him through half closed eyelids, smiling sleepily. He smiled back, placing his left hand on her temple, and tucking a few stray locks of hair behind her ear. She blushed slightly, and laid her head back down on him, nuzzling against him and letting out a sigh, her grasp around his waist tightening. As he watched her, he found it hard to believe she could be so vicious when the circumstances called for it. She was so sweet…so frail…so beautiful. Seeing her like that, he was affirmed beyond any lingering doubts in his mind, that he wanted to be with her, no matter the cost. He still felt awful about Yuka, but he would have to make her understand. She had to understand. This is what he wants. This is his decision.

With that, he stroked Nyuu's back a few times, trying to gently stir her from the slumber she had no doubt fallen back into.

"…Nyuu? Sorry but I have to go to class. I'll be back in time for dinner alright?"

She lifted her head once more, and this time her sleepy eyes conveyed some disappointment, though she responded wordlessly after a moment by releasing her grasp on him. He slipped out from under the covers and walked over to the nearby windows and opened the blinds, causing her to squint and cover her eyes with one hand, groaning slightly at the offensive intensity of the light. He got dressed quickly, and scooped up his backpack, ensuring he had all the materials he needed for today. Nyuu was slowly tearing herself away from her drowsiness, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand. Now becoming more coherent, she found herself blushing immensely. She had barged into his room last night and practically thrown herself on top of him. She really didn't know anything about being intimate, despite having been the one to initiate nearly all of their encounters of that nature. She was completely innocent, having never known any kind of affection her entire life; only indignation, insults, and abuse.

With Kohta…she found she couldn't control herself. She longed for him…for his touch. Whenever she was near him her heart raced. Memories of her childhood, spending time with him…they were the only good memories she had. They were the only things that saved her sanity; locked in that restraining apparatus in that cell…thinking of Kohta was the only thing that kept her going. As she had told him, she fought armies just to have a chance to talk with him. She loved him more than anything…and waking up in his arms had been nothing short of amazing; such a simple thing, having such an effect…it was breathtaking. She felt…safe, secure….whole…happy.

So, she had justified her forwardness. It was settled in her mind, right? Then why the hell was she blushing so much?

Having gathered everything he needed, Kohta crossed the room, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. Nyuu looked down to the sheets that now lay covering half her body, wishing he didn't have to leave.

Uncertainty now began to set in. Was he just going to leave without a word? Was last night just…

Her usual series of paranoid thoughts was cut short and snuffed out when he stopped at the bedside. She looked up to find him already leaning down. He grabbed her right arm, which supported her weight on the futon, lightly, and brushed his lips against hers. He pulled away after a moment, mumbling a 'see you later' before exiting the room, closing the door behind him. Her lips still tingled from his touch, and her chest felt warm. She reached trembling fingers to her soft lips, and felt herself blushing even more profusely, which she kicked herself for mentally.

She shook her head in an attempt to jar the thoughts from her mind, and forced herself out of his bed before heading for her own room to get dressed. As much as she would have liked to, she knew she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep after that.

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Kohta sat in his swiveling audience chair among the many other ambitious youths that populated the large lecture hall, tapping his pen absent mindedly against the surface of the table. His notebook was turned to a half filled page of notes, several minutes behind the topic currently at hand. The large class of 400 plus students was remarkably quiet save for the echoing voice of the professor. His foot tapped against the carpeted floor nervously, and his eyes rested upon the cream colored walls, rotating his chair slightly to each side. To the ignorant observer, he seemed to be seriously contemplating the lecturer's words. This couldn't be farther from the truth.

His mind raced between feelings of happiness and pangs of guilt and worry. Thoughts of Yuka seemed to be dominating him during this particular time. Although it was pointless to think about now, he somehow felt that if he thought about speaking with her, it would somehow allow it to happen sooner. He began to shift nervously even more, unbeknownst to him. He was growing more and more impatient by the second, and at this point it was very apparent to anyone who happened to look in his general direction. Unfortunately for Kohta, someone did just that, and took notice of his nervous behavior; namely, Professor Ingawa.

Khota froze for a moment, having made eye contact with the suspicious expression on the man's face, and nodded in false understanding, as if he really had been paying attention, and scribbled random words down into his notebook. Although Ingawa was not convinced, he released his induced stranglehold on Khota and resumed the lecture. Khota exhaled heavily but quietly, feeling extremely relieved. Being caught daydreaming twice in one week would have been un-called for.

'_Well…maybe if I pay attention I won't have time to think about this…'_ was the thought that allowed him to concentrate for the remainder of the lecture.

He'd just have to deal with things later.

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With a long stretch and a loud yawn, Nana stumbled out of her room in a sleepy stupor. She stood still for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust to offensive brightness of the hallway, rubbing them with the backs of her hands before turning right and walking haphazardly. After a few less than graceful steps, she noticed the old grandfather clock, which signified that she had indeed gone the wrong way (for the third day in a row). She grumbled, her lips pursing momentarily before she turned and walked back, her feet hitting the ground with unnecessary force, thudding across the hardwood floor. She reached her destination: the kitchen, still slightly groggy, though her frustration had made her a little more alert than she was. As soon as she entered, she found Yuka looking her way with a look of confusion. She returned her quizzical expression with one of even greater misunderstanding, wondering why she was getting that look. She rubbed the back of her head, partly to provide more stimuli to awaken to, and partly out of nervous habit when she was curious about something. Finally, Yuka decided Nana wasn't going to get this one on her own, even though it should be pretty obvious.

"….um….something wrong?" Yuka asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nana laughed slightly, finally understanding.

"Oh! No- not really! Just need to work on my sense of direction…hey, is there any food around? Breakfast sounds really good!"

"…Nana…" Yuka started, setting her biology text down on the table from where she sat. She inverted her wrist towards herself to get a better vantage point of the face of her watch, noting the time.

"…it's 11:41" She finished with amusement.

Nana 's brow furrowed slightly into her usual defensive expression. "Hey! That's still morning!"

Yuka let out a light sigh, closing her eyes. She obviously wasn't going to get any studying done with Nana around; she always had a way of vacuuming out all the attention in the area for herself. Nana was like a little sister to her in a way as well…but the much younger, short tempered, immature sister who had to get what she wants right NOW, even though it was usually troublesome, even annoying at times since it meant more work for Yuka. Nana was just so damned cute somehow…how could you refuse that face? Even when she was trying to be angry or upset, she was so comical about the way she acted. Yuka was slightly jealous, actually. Being that adorable was a real gift.

Yuka placed a folded piece of paper in her book as a marker and closed it, standing from the table and brushing herself down quickly.

"Fine, I'll make you something if you go get dressed and start cleaning. How's that?" she said with a smile.

Nana didn't look as thrilled as she thought she'd be.

"Wha? I don't wanna clean…I'm huuungry!" she whined, her arms falling limply towards the ground, causing her shoulders to slump down over-dramatically.

Yuka shook her head with a slight smile which she tried to hide. Despite how cute Nana was, now she was being a little bothersome. A loud grumble could be heard, and Nana clutched her stomach with one hand. It seemed she really was hungry, but still…

"By the time you get done, the food will be ready. You don't want to wait around do you?" Yuka persuaded, placing one hand on her hip and shifting her weight onto her right leg.

"Hrm…..I guess not…" Nana replied, having given in to Yuka's logic.

"Ok then, why don't you go change and get started?"

"Huh? What's wrong with how I'm dressed now?" she asked, looking down at her body and twisting her torso in an attempt to look at herself from behind as if there was something she was missing.

She really was so innocent. She was still in her pajamas…or that's what Nana considered it anyways. Really it was just an old white t-shirt of Khota's that didn't fit him well anymore. Even though Nana was a small girl, Khota's shirt wasn't exactly big on her, and left little to the imagination, the bottom of the shirt showing a healthy amount of thigh. Even though prosthetic, it was thigh none the less. Not that there were any men in the house that would get any ideas, but still…she should learn proper etiquette right?

"Well…it's just what people do….besides you'll get dirty." Yuka answered, slyly avoiding the real issue. Knowing Nana, she'd probably just carry on as usual, maybe get side-tracked and run outside. Then an even worse notion hit Yuka. Nana plus a small white t-shirt plus massive amounts of rain….not good….

To Yuka's relief, Nana's drive to be normal had saved her from anymore explanation. She had agreed silently, nodding her head and heading back up the hallway. It was no surprise she was so innocent. She'd been locked up her entire life. The only praise she ever got was a pat on the head from a man she referred to as 'Papa'. She never knew compassion, reassurance, or love for that matter. It must have been so horrible….and Nyuu couldn't have had it much better either.

Hearing her story had really given Yuka a whole new perspective on life. Any of her problems seemed like nothing when put in the context of what Nana had endured. The surprising thing was that it didn't seem to bother her. But when abuse is all you know, you don't know that there is anything more to life. You don't know that you deserve any better.

Yuka had made a promise with herself that she would give Nana the kind of caring she deserved, to give her a chance at being happy; Very similar to Mayu. Now that she thought about it…they seemed to be taking in a lot of troubled girls. It's not like they were aiming for that, it just sort of happened…maybe it was fate?

She had become an older sister, or perhaps even a mother to both Nana and Mayu. Nyuu was a completely different story. Besides being the same age as her and Khota, her personality was much different. She was almost untouchable, even unapproachable to Yuka. She never could figure that out…Nyuu seemed to harbor some hostility to Yuka, even when she was trying to help. Khota was really the only one she got close to. Even though she seemed bitter most of the time, it wasn't hard to see that she was just a woman in great pain. Despite Yuka's jealousy towards her, she didn't want Nyuu to be unhappy…everyone deserves better than that.

It was decided that this tension between them couldn't continue on. She had to find out why there was this heavy cloud of ambiguity and loathing that encompassed them. She had already decided on one thing…but getting Nyuu to agree would take work.

First thing first: she had to make peace with her.

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With an impatient grumble, Nana threw down her dust rag and polish, running down the hall and into the kitchen for what had to have been the fifth time, poking her head in to see of her beloved nourishment was ready. This time, a bowl of oatmeal had been set out on the table alongside a plate of assorted fruits. It wasn't exactly a hard meal to prepare; Yuka had probably just wanted to get food out quickly to avoid hearing Nana complain through stomach growls or otherwise. Yuka shook her head, seeing Nana's large grin as she bounded over to the table, plopping down and devouring the food as if it had been rationed for the last few years. Come to think of it…maybe it was for her…At least she had put on less revealing apparel. She had chosen her favorite outfit, which was quickly fading as Yuka had to wash it constantly since she insisted on wearing it every other day. It was simple, an almost knee length black dress with a white collar, and black casual dress shoes. It did look very cute on her. They also had given her a wide assortment of hair ribbons and head bands, not wanting others to see her horns. Today she had apparently chosen a red one, although it didn't match at all with her outfit.

Yuka was busy near the sinks, having gotten out several different kinds of peppers, noodles, rice, etc. She was in the process of getting out the necessary cookware when out of her peripheral vision she noticed Nyuu walk silently into the kitchen, stopping momentarily to eye Nana curiously. She noticed that Nyuu was dressed a little more elegantly than usual; Long black slacks that hugged her hips and thighs rather graciously, a light pink button down shirt, with a black choker necklace and topped off with a matching black hair band. All of which were hand-me-downs from Yuka. She felt yet another rush of jealousy on many levels. She looked so much cuter in her own clothes…that wasn't fair in itself. She forced herself to shake the image from this morning from her mind, although it was proving to be quite a challenge. She wasn't wrong…Nyuu was dressing like this for Khota. No matter how many times she had reassured herself of her decision, feeling that she had come to terms with this, she just felt it wasn't fair. She wanted to be the one dressing up for him, among many other things…

"…I guess I'll go clean the bathrooms." Nyuu concluded, deciding on her day's chore.

Mayu was able to attend school, she was able to continue on with a normal life….but Nyuu and Nana couldn't exactly do that. It would have been very difficult to forge identification papers in order to get them enrolled in the system. What was worse, they were bound to draw attention, especially Nana. Attention was something they really didn't need. Who knew if that organization conducting the research on the Diclonius was still active? Chances are they were. If they caught wind of suspicious young girls anywhere, they'd be on top of it in no time, with a small army of armed soldiers no doubt. Better safe than sorry, Yuka had said. All it would take is Nana's leg coming off to stir up all kinds of questions.

Since neither of them could attend school, it was decided they had to maintain the house, and had set chores to do each day. They had fallen into a steady rhythm for the most part, but Nana still had trouble with certain tasks. She tried hard though, and was learning quickly. That's all that was asked of her.

Today would be different though….instead of Yuka's usual "ok, that sounds fine", Nyuu received a very different, and unexpected response.

"No, not today. I have something else I'd like you to do."

Yuka looked over to Nana, who was finishing the remains of her oatmeal hurriedly.

"Nana, could you clean the bathrooms today?"

The young girl let out a muffled protest, her mouth still full of food, but seeing the pleading look on Yuka's face made her quickly relent. She had been nice enough to make her breakfast, after all. She stood with her bowl and tossed it into the sink, rushing out of the room and heading up the hall for whatever reason. Maybe she wanted to finish quickly and catch her favorite TV drama or something?

Yuka turned her attention away from the doorway Nana had just run out of back to Nyuu, who had a look of annoyance rather than curiosity on her features. She should have expected that, Nyuu didn't exactly care for her, for some odd reason. It was a complete mystery to Yuka. She had never met Nyuu before that day on the beach…right? Why was she so angry with her all the time? Was that just part of her defense? Was she just another possible threat that could hurt her one day, so she kept her at arms length?

None of that mattered right now. In fact…even if they couldn't become friends, or even get along and hold a civil conversation, it didn't make much of a difference. This wasn't about her.

"Ok then, Nyuu. Today, I want to teach you how to cook." She said with a hearty smile.

Nyuu blinked several times out of surprise. She certainly hadn't expected Yuka to say _that._ She looked around on the Formica countertop, noting the various ingredients and dishes. Her? Cook? What the hell was this girl trying to do? Become friends with her? This was ridiculous. Her eyes glazed over with a look of utter contempt, and she turned slightly, halfway facing the doorway.

"….you must be joking." She muttered.

"No, Nyuu! I'm serious. I want to teach you how to cook. So c'mon, grab an apron and wash your hands."

"I'll pass" she retorted quickly, beginning to head out of the kitchen. The idea of spending any amount of time with her was out of the question. She, who Khota had gone to the festival with that night, instead of her. She, who does nothing but try to gain his attention on a daily basis. In Nyuu's mind, there was nothing to discuss with her.

As she reached the doorway, she felt a small yet firm hand grasp her wrist, preventing her from continuing. She spun around quickly, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"…Let go." She commanded fiercely. Yuka's eyes did not waver. She began taking steps back into the kitchen, pulling Nyuu with her.

"I said let go!" she yelled. She attempted to wrench her wrist from Yuka's grasp, but the girl was surprisingly strong. Somewhere in the back of her mind, an urge to utilize her one true protection: her vectors, echoed within her. She shut her eyes fiercely, stifling that part of her. She had allowed that part of her to take over when she was young…and she had killed. She had killed so many people…but she wasn't that person anymore. She didn't have to be so afraid…she would deal with her problems…not eliminate them.

"…why?" she asked aloud.

"it's….important."

Nyuu met her eyes, and Yuka released her wrist finally. She knew she wouldn't run away, she was too curious. Something in her eyes told her that she genuinely wanted to know why Yuka was so adamant about this.

"…why do you want me to cook so badly?"

Yuka smiled slightly, placing her hands on Nyuu's slender shoulders.

"….you have to do what I can't."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Yuka, deciding she had Nyuu's full attention, let go and moved back to the counter, leaning against the counter, crossing her arms lightly in front of her.

"….Khota cares about you a lot….huh?" she asked finally.

"What does that have to do with any-"

"Khota….he…" Yuka interrupted. "…he cares about you too. He cares about all of us….he's got a big heart."

Nyuu was becoming more and more confused by the moment. Yuka spoke in riddles to her…just what was she getting at? She moved further into the kitchen and leaned against the adjacent island counter, facing her as she spoke.

"He really does everything he can to help others. He adopted Mayu, he took in you and Nana…. Like I said…he does so much for others….but…in the process he forgets to take care of himself. He doesn't even eat properly most of the time! Sometimes…he doesn't eat at all. That's why….that's why you have to take care of him now!"

Nyuu looked up in surprise, meeting Yuka's serious expression. The girl was crying.

"Don't you understand? He chose you! You're the one he's going to let get close to him. So you're going to have to be the one to help him…you're going to have to take care of him, just as he takes care of you. That's what love is! You care for each other, you protect each other, you show your weakness to each other….and you heal each other."

Nyuu's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly. She was in utter shock. She had to take care of him? This whole time he had been the one taking care her…she was broken….or so she had regarded herself. How could she possibly take care of someone else? She couldn't even take care of herself…

But here was Yuka, telling her that Khota needed her...that she had to help him, take care of him…_heal_ him. Yuka, despite having been rejected by Khota, was trying to teach her how to cook simply so that Khota would be well taken care of. She wanted him to be happy no matter what…even if she wasn't the one to do it.

Nyuu bowed her head slightly, her dark red bangs falling in front of her face, hiding her expression. She suddenly felt extremely guilty harboring such jealousy and anger towards Yuka. She really was an amazing person. She was kind, sweet, gentle, caring, and beautiful…everything a man would look for in a woman. She's even willing to help another woman who happens to be in love with the same man she loves….

How could she even hope to compete with that? Khota had let her stay in his room that night, and had kissed her that morning, but…he wouldn't really choose her over Yuka…how could he? Comparing the two of them…isn't she the obvious choice?

Yuka noticed Nyuu's expression, even if she couldn't see her face. This wouldn't do. She didn't know exactly what was going through her mind, but she decided it wasn't something that involved her. That was a 'Khota problem'. She reached for a nearby apron and handed it to Nyuu, drawing her out of her trance. Nyuu gave her a small, honest smile.

"….thank you…"

Yuka returned her smile with a beaming grin of her own.

"Well then! Let's get started!"

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Khota's shoes scuffed against the scattered concrete blocks that created a pathway up to the door through the yard as he walked lazily to his destination. He was sleepy, and it was getting dark. It was only about six o' clock too…guess winter really was approaching. The rain had finally stopped around four or so, but the sky was still thick with fast-moving gray clouds, threatening to begin another downpour at any minute. A cold rush of wind blew past him, and he clutched his chest slightly, trying to break some of the winds.

'Man…today was so boring…'

With a sigh, he slid open the door and set down his backpack from his shoulder, and kicked off his sneakers. It was cozily warm inside Kaida house, as usual. The instant he stepped inside he felt warmed to the bone. He pulled up the sleeves to his hooded sweatshirt, and took a few steps down the hall, noting the time on the old grandfather clock as he passed by. Suddenly an aroma so sweet and tantalizing passed into his nostrils, causing his mouth to instantaneously water up. He hurried into the kitchen, stopping quickly, having almost run into a speeding Nana. She let out a surprised "uWaAAA" before ducking down with the bowls in her hands and sneaking past him into the dining room across the hall. Having narrowly avoided the collision, he poked his head into the doorway.

"That's all there is to it! See? You did great!" Yuka exclaimed.

"…thank you…it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be…" Nyuu responded with a broad smile.

"Hey…what smells so good?" Khota interjected, slightly confused.

"Oh hey Khota!" Yuka responded in much higher spirits than he expected her to be. "Nyuu made stir fry. It does smell terrific doesn't it? The girl's a natural!"

Khota exchanged glances with Yuka, and looked over to Nyuu, who was drying off her hands on a nearby dish towel.

"Nyuu? You made this?"

Nyuu immediately blushed slightly, turning her gaze down and starting to untie the apron around her torso.

"Well…Yuka did most of it…"

"Hey! Give yourself more credit! I just showed you the recipe and gave you some pointers. You did everything Nyuu, pat yourself on the back!"

"That's incredible Nyuu! It smells delicious, I can't wait to taste it!"

Nyuu placed the apron onto the countertop and blushed even more. She met Khota's look and smiled, despite herself. Yuka smiled and shook her head, removing her own apron and wiping her hands off.

Quiet footsteps approached from behind and Khota turned to see Mayu had snuck up on him with a worried expression.

"Oh, welcome home Khota! Hey…everyone…maybe we should eat now? Nana's almost foaming at the mouth….at this rate she'll start without us and we won't get any food."

"I HEARD that!" came the far away yet loud cry from the other room.

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Dinner had gone over without a hitch. Everyone was so happy together. They shared their meals, exchanged stories of their days, and laughed together…just like a real family. Nyuu had received a lot of compliments on her first attempt at cooking, and Khota had received a hard elbow to the side when he had asked Yuka why Nyuu's cooking tasted better even though she had coached her through the process, much to Nana's amusement. It really was an amazing thing that everyone was getting along the way they were.

Khota had decided to take a shower after dinner, having not had one in about 36 hours. Yuka was off studying, as usual, while Nana and Mayu received the task of cleaning up after dinner. Nyuu was excused from that of course, being the cook. She shifted her weight to left leg, and crossed her arms lightly, grasping both her elbows with her fingertips. Thunder could be heard nearby, and the rain was beginning to pick up again. Luckily for her, she was already underneath the canopy by the back door. She often came out here to think, whenever she had some alone time. Usually she found herself watching the sunset here, since Kaida house faced east. No sunset could be seen this night, however. She eyed the ground as puddles formed in the moisture-saturated earth. Droplets struck the surfaces of the small pools of water, sending circular ripples out to the edges that somehow, almost hypnotically drew her attention. It was now dark, and the falling rains drowned out all other sounds.

Cooking had been a very unique experience to her, but it wasn't as hard as she thought it was going to be. Actually, she kind of enjoyed it, and Yuka had been so patient with her…she wasn't at all the person Nyuu thought her to be. When you look deeper into her, past the irritated looks and uptight reactions, she really is a nice person. Maybe becoming friends with her wasn't such an impossible notion after all. The more she spent time with everyone, the fonder of them she became. All those years, she had convinced herself she was just…different. She didn't belong with normal people, she couldn't live with anyone…but in a few weeks she had changed so drastically and yet so naturally it almost scared her. But the change felt so right to be a frightening thing.

People fear change. It's human nature. We fall into a set routine and become comfortable with that. To go outside of that means trudging through uncharted territory for us…and we have no guarantees. For many people, that's a very frightening thing. But, as she discovered, change is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it can be a beautiful new experience. She had changed…and this was who she was now…for the first time in her life, instead of self loathing, she had respect for herself. She loved the person she had become, and the person she was when she was with her new family. All those years of mistreatment, abuse, indignation, they were just a faraway nightmare to her now, being washed away by the warmth of those that now cared for her, like patches of mud on a stone pathway in a rainstorm.

Another cold gust of wind filled the air, tossing her hair out of place and into her eyes. She rubbed her upper arms with her hands through her shirt, trying to warm herself. Her efforts to rub warmth back into her body were aided by another pair that traced across her back, down her shoulders, finally encircling her waist as she was pulled back into a familiar form.

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here too long." He said quietly, his lips brushing against her ear leaving warm traces of his breath down her neck, sending a cold shiver up her spine before being replaced by a flaring heat.

She placed her hands over his, and craned her neck so she could see his face. His smoky blue eyes were comforting to stare into, like a pond nestled deep in a secluded forest. She gave him a smile and let the weight of both her body and her head fall against his. He supported her from behind with his embrace, and they held that comfortable position in a peaceful silence for a few moments. Despite the dark atmosphere, they were content to be there in that way. It was still almost unbelievable to her, that Khota would choose her over Yuka. From her point of view, she was the obvious choice…but Yuka had even said herself Khota had chosen her, although she was doubtful, despite everything he had told her. She had a 'too good to be true' mindset when it came to that topic…but here he was, holding her.

"..what were you doing out here anyways? Thinking?"

"…yeah…"

"…anything interesting?"

"I guess so….I was thinking about everyone…we've gotten kinda close…huh?"

Khota simply nodded in response, closing his eyes and inhaling slowly and deeply through his nostrils, catching a healthy whiff of her sweet scent.

"I'm not really used to that…" she continued. "…you know…being close to people…trusting people….but…I like it."

"Then, you'll stay?"

"Yeah."

He was relieved to hear her say that. He couldn't shake the feeling that maybe a part of her wanted to leave on her own again.

"Although…everyone won't live here forever…" he started.

"…I know…"

"So…whatever happens….Nyuu, would you stay with me?"

She removed her hands from his and turned around to meet him. She was so happy to hear those words, she almost felt like crying. Khota really had chosen her; he loved her, just like he had told her. He wanted her to stay with him; he wanted to be with her. At long last her doubts had finally been put to rest. She opened her mouth so respond, but her voice was disobeying her at the moment. Instead of fighting it, she opted for a more silent way of conveying her answer: she kissed him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she pushed herself up against him, letting out a small moan as his tongue entered her mouth, deepening the kiss. He could feel her breasts pressing against his chest, fueling the already blazing fires of passion stirring within him. He placed his hands on her lower back and pulled her closer. After a few moments, their lips parted and they both clenched onto each other in a tight embrace.

"You don't have to be alone anymore…" he whispered. This only made her tighten her grasp on him. After a pause, he loosened his hold on her; he met her eyes through her tussled bangs, and brushed a few stray locks away, tucking them behind her ear. She was blushing most profusely, the color of her cheeks beginning to resemble the crimson of her hair and eyes.

"…let's go inside. It's cold out here."

He led her inside and down the hallway, into his room. The heavy rains could still be heard from outside, the drops lightly thudding against the rooftop as well as the nearby windows. The house was rather dark, save for the light that could be seen from underneath the doors in the halls.

What happened next, she could not even begin to describe. She recalled little details…. a need overtook her body, and she found herself acting purely on instinct. As if on its own, her body acted; it ached for him, and she found herself tugging at his shirt. Their lips melded with one another's, as did their bodies. Soon she found herself beneath him on his futon, as he laid trails of kisses down her jaw and her throat. She gasped and moaned as she was consumed by caresses. She bit her lip, and nestled her eyes into his shoulder as she convulsed again and again, crying out his name in ecstasy. Time stood still for what seemed like both a very long time, as well as an instantaneous moment. She felt…whole. If anything was to be recalled of that night, it was the feeling she got being with him. She felt needed, and most of all, loved. She never wanted to forget that feeling.

She never wanted to forget exactly what his love had provided her: a sanctuary; a place for her to heal from the heavy emotional scars that plagued her. He had given her such happiness, and taken her away from all the horrible things she never felt she deserved. He was what she deserved. He was what she wanted, what she loved. And in return, she was loved. He was hers, and she, his. Together, they would do as Yuka had said. Just what people who love each other do. Help each other, care for each other, show their strengths as well as their weaknesses, and protect each other. They were both each other's sanctuary.

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"Nyuu…wake up." He cooed softly, trying to stir her. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled up at him, a few crimson locks of hair trailing across his flesh, tickling him somewhat. She inhaled deeply and looked down, realizing that they were both still nude, their bodies entangled as they had fallen to rest last night. Spiting the heavy blush that rose to her cheeks, she nuzzled her face into his bare chest and grasped him closely.

"Haha…c'mon, we can't sleep all day, I have something planned."

"Hmm?" she asked sleepily.

"…I had an idea…let's go to the zoo….I bet you'll still think the elephants are amazing."

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_In you and I, there's a new land,_

_Angels in flight,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary,_

_Where fears and lies melt away,_

_Music in time,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_What's left of me,_

_What's left of me now?_

_I watch you fast asleep,_

_All I fear means nothing,_

_In you and I, there's a new land,_

_Angels in flight,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary,_

_Where fears and lies melt away,_

_Music in time,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_What's left of me,_

_What's left of me?_

_So many ups and downs_

_My heart's a battleground_

_I need true emotions_

_I need more affection than you know_

_I need true emotions_

_You show me how to see_

_That nothing is whole and nothing is broken,_

_In you and I there's a new land,_

_Angels in flight,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_My sanctuary, my sanctuary,_

_Where fears and lies melt away,_

_Music in time,_

_I need more affection than you know_

_What's left of me,_

_What's left of me now?_

_My fears, my lies.._

_Melt away_

"Sanctuary" English Opening for Kingdom Hearts 2, Square Enix. TM

Artist: Utada Hikaru

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Well, that's the end. Thanks for reading, see you next time!


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